Capital Punishment

God is a strong advocate of capital punishment.

"The wages of sin is death...

But let's be clear. Death by capital punishment comes to a swift end. God is not an advocate of cruel and unusual punishment like the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. God loves His enemies and after the death penalty is administered, He intends to give them eternal life.

...but the free gift of God is eternal life..." (Romans 6:23)

This "free gift" was one of the mysteries revealed by God to the Apostle Paul.

"When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations..."(Ephesians 3:5)

Down through the years only a few people have tortured others. Much of the torturing was done by political or religious leaders in their wrath against "infidels." But that behavior is how wicked men treat their enemies, not God. When God's wrath is poured out on wicked men it is swift and always ends in the death of its object (i.e. capital punishment). But death is not the end for its objects. Paul tell us...

"I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." (Acts 24:14-15)

God and religion differ on what happens to the righteous and the wicked after they are resurrected? Religion teaches the righteous go to heaven and the wicked to hell. God's plan, however, is to reconcile and save all mankind by His grace, both Jew and Gentile.

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly... This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel...To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church..." (Ephesians 3:1-9)

The "church" long ago ceased teaching this "manifold wisdom". It has become another religion teaching that the righteous go to heaven and the wicked to hell. But if you want to read a summary of God's plan, the good news that the church was intended to proclaim, it is found in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 where it is revealed that "all die", and "all will be made alive" so that God ends up "all in all".

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive...so that God may be all in all."

Capital punishment is good - it removes the wicked from society. Religion adds eternal torment to their sentence which is bad, but the mystery of God's grace is that He will raise both the "righteous and the wicked" up as a rehabilitated new creation, and give us all the "free gift" of eternal life.

"And He who sits on the throne said: Behold, I am making all things new. And He said: Write, for these words are faithful and true." (Revelation 21:5)

“In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk! And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” (Acts 3:6-8)

What exactly caused this man to be healed? Modern day faith healers would say it was the FAITH of Peter, John and the lame man – and/or the collective prayer of the Saints…as if prayer and faith are currency given to God in exchange for the lame man’s healing. However, it clear to me that the lame man was healed BECAUSE IT WAS GOD’S PLAN TO HEAL HIM. It had nothing to do with the purchasing power of PRAYER or FAITH. You cannot can buy stuff from God.

So why did God miraculously heal him? Well the context of Miracles in the Bible is always to confirm the word of God. So in this case it would have been to demonstrate to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. These miracles to confirm the Word of God ceased, it seems to me, when the Word of God was completed and canonized into what we now call the Bible. I do not see men with the gift of miraculous healing today. What I do see is men claiming to have that gift, failing to heal, and blaming it on the lack of Faith of those who need it.

To the extent God reveals something he is going to do, we can be certain it will happen because when it does, it will CONFIRM the Word of God. It does NOT happen because of PRAYER or FAITH that it will happen, but because God has said it is His will to do so.

Men often lie, or are deceived into believing God has spoken a promise to them when it is simply a desire of their heart…or for money in the case of modern day faith healers.

Sooo for me, I do not assume, expect or am I convicted that what men say is a Word from God…I have been disappointed too often by such men, even those with the best intentions. HOWEVER, in my personal study of the Bible I cannot recall anything I have read therein that God promised which has not already happened as promised, OR could happen in the future – like the restoration of Israel the resurrection of the dead and the salvation of all mankind.

“…the God of peace Himself sanctifies you entirely; and your spirit and soul and body are preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

Just believe the Bible’s own definition of Faith…

“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed.” (Hebrews 11:1 CLNT)

Israel was in comfortable exile in Babylon when Jeremiah reminded them of God’s plan for them….

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

About 14 years ago I found myself a captive, but comfortable member of a church, exiled there by God it seems to me, much like the children of Israel were exiled to Babylon. In the grace of God I realized that it was not an ideal place for me to grow in the grace and knowledge of God and Christ Jesus, but a temporary sanctuary from life in a world without hope.

It is difficult and costly to escape once entangled in its comfortable atmosphere…similar to a hospital, or an opium den…no offence intended. Those sanctuaries often demonstrate prejudices and judgmental attitudes that you will not find outside in the world. The fanatics of Islam want to kill all the infidels now, in the name of Allah. The fanatics of Christianity simply reason that God will assign everyone who does not choose him in this life to eternal damnation and torture in hell. They both provide sanctuary for their followers.

When one comes to know the one true God and His Son, the Savior of the World, he must grow, if at all, outside the various sanctuaries erected by men. He must seek God among the world He sent Jesus His Son to save. Seek and worship God with a sincere heart and an open mind, with the best translation of the bible one can find as the only resource.

What I found is really good news for mankind…and the one true God who is worthy of the Name!

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Does the bible give a summary of God's Plan for His creation? It was given to Paul it seems to me and he shares it in at least two places as follows:

"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:19-25)

NOTE:  

 1. All Creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the "sons" of God. Children of God will become mature sons. We will be complete in the "image" of God.

2. All creation is now subjected to "futility" and "corruption" by God Himself. But it will be "set free" when the "children" become “sons" at the resurrection.

3. For now, all creation groans and suffers. But we have the "hope" (assurance) of salvation.

4. We are not saved yet. We must patiently wait for it.

"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is accepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:20-28 NASB)

NOTE:

1. The risen Christ is the first fruit of all who die and are resurrected.

2. All will be made alive like Christ just as all will die like Adam.

3. Not all are made alive at the same time. There is an order.  Christ first.  Next, believers at Christ's coming  Then, everyone else at the "end" of the plan being carried out in the ages.

4. Christ rules until all enemies are under his feet, then he abolishes death, and returns the Kingdom to God.

5. Christ is subject to God and God is then "ALL in ALL"....everything to everyone.